Baby backs for the first time today need advice...


 
PaulFisher

PaulFisher

TVWBB Super Fan
Hey all,

I'm really looking forward to doing my first smoke of BBR's today on my 18.5 WSM. I was going to run through my cooking procedure real quick and see if anyone had any thoughts/recommendations.

I plan on smoking them for about 4-5 hours on ~225. I was going to use the minion method for starting and a few hickory chucks of wood. The one thing I'm not sure about is the water pan. I have read that some people choose to just foil it and not put any water in, others use water.

Does it really make that much of a difference?

Thanks,

Paul
 
It can make a difference in terms of cooktemp targeting and holding. If you are cooking that low I'd recommend using the water. (Note that you can cook at higher temps too.)

Though approaching the cook with a particular time frame in mind is fine for planning purposes, best results are achieved if you cook the ribs till they are tender (a probe will go between the bones with no resistance) rather than a preset notion of time.

Enjoy your cook.
 
It is probably too late this time, but some people (myself included) put a clay saucer in the water pan and foil the whole thing, which takes the place of water in the pan. You can buy clay saucers in the Gardening section of any home improvement store...they usually go underneath clay planter pots. It has the same effect as sand or water in the pan...it helps with temp targeting and maintenance.

Otherwise, your cooking plan sounds spot on, just make sure you cook to tender and don't just go by time. At a lower temp you might be pushing 5+ hourse, depending on the size of your racks.
 
That's exactly how I do mine. But yeah dont just go off time, they feel nice and tender. Also I would fill the pan, you can foil it and then fill it with apple juice. It makes for easy clean-up. You got the basics down for sure. Good luck!
 
Filling the pan with anything other than water is a waste of whatever that is, juice, aromatics, etc. If one wants to add flavor to the ribs it is far easier and more efficient to do so directly.

I do agree that foiling the pan - whether empty or not - makes cleanup much easier.
 
This is only my 5 or 6th cook on my WSM , But I'm doing St Louis ribs today 2 slabs. Always use the water pan. Start w/Gallon of warm water and add if level gets low or temp too high.(Past 275)

I love this cooker.
 
Well, it didn't go so well yesterday. I ended up smoking them at about 250 to 260 for 4 hours. That included a 20 minute Thunderstorm at hour 2 which soaked the WSM. I checked up on the ribs after 4 hours and they were WAY overcooked. Ended up sorta dry. I guess I should have checked on them earlier or gone for a lower temp.

I'm not too good at controlling temperature yet. Anyone have any idea approximately how much the temp should decrease when you close the bottom vents a bit?
 
No way to answer that as there are numerous variables at play (quantity and type of fuel, how much is lit and its location, wind, if any, et al. - and 'a bit' is nebulous.

No need to chase temps. The possible cooktemp range is very wide. Stabilize then adjust your notion of the likely time needed.

As noted above, a probe will go between the bones effortlessly when tender. Cooking by time isn't worth while in many cases.
If the meat was a bit difficult to get off the bone and was 'sorta dry' and chewy then the ribs were undercooked. If easier to remove from the bone, dry and somewhat stringy then they were overcooked.
 
Paul something I've noticed on my WSM. It ccoks Spares in about 4 hours and Baby Backs in about 3 hours. Again, there are many variables. You gotta take a peak every now and then and see how they look. On spares I'll check at 4 hours and if the bone is showing a bit I'll give it the tear test. That's my measuring stick. The bones and the tear test. Baby Backs - especially smaller racks without much meat can over-cook quickly. Something I learned from Harry of Slap Yo Daddy BBQ (great Q&A in this forum) is to buy the heaviest package of ribs you can find.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It ccoks Spares in about 4 hours and Baby Backs in about 3 hours </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It is temp dependent.
 
Thanks guys for the help. I knew they were badly overcooked when I took off the lid and about 3/4" of the bone on each rib was showing.
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Ribs are the only thing I don't use a thermometer on. I go by site (bones showing) and the tear test. When they pass those two - they're ready for me. But as usual - use whatever works for you... And remember, I've had 6 cooks on my WSM - so I'm an expert!!!
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Ah, but it's a good place to use a therm - in between the bones. Temp not necessary, just the feel. You can certainly tear them - but I like keeping them intact.

Meat shrinkage varies. I've never found it very reliable.
 
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